Turkey army group announces takeover on TV

[Surya Gayatri]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by In_The_Wind (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: BBC News

An army group in Turkey says it has taken over the country, with soldiers at strategic points in Istanbul and jets flying low in the capital, Ankara.

A statement read on TV said a "peace council" now ran the country and there was a curfew and martial law.

It is unclear who the group is or its level of support. Some top army officials are said to be detained


The Bosphorus bridge was blocked off by military units

Gunfire was also heard outside Istanbul police HQ and tanks are said to be stationed outside Istanbul airport. All flights are cancelled, reports say.

One European Union source told Reuters that the military action "looks like a relatively well-orchestrated coup by a substantial body of the military, not just a few colonels".

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36809083

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Looks like this is serious and sustained. Erdogan has reportedly requested asylum from Germany.


Mr Erdogan spoke to CNN Turk via Facetime

[David__77]

1. My first thought is that it might be officers motivated by patriotism.

I think that the government is ideologically at odds with the basic ideas underlying the republic in its early years.

[Surya Gayatri]

2. The military has always held itself up as the guarantor of Turkey's proud secular tradition.

Erdogan has been stomping all over that tradition recently.

[uawchild]

5. THIS ^^^^^

We shall see.

[uawchild]

3. HOLY COW!

Where's Erdogan?

Helicopter seen shooting state broadcaster’s HQ in Ankara, explosions heard
A military helicopter was spotted opening fire above Ankara, Reuters reports, citing witnesses. Other reports claim that a loud explosion occurred at the headquarters of state broadcaster TRT.

https://www.rt.com/news/351384-ankara-trt-explosion-army-coup/

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Flying around in his jet, seeking asylum as we speak, apparently.

He was denied landing rights in Turkey.

He'd been on holiday on the Black Sea.

[ellenrr]

11. I'd expect him to seek asylum in US along with other dictators. nt

[KamaAina]

28. Much larger Turkish community in Germany.

The lion's share of Germany's Gastarbeiter (guest workers) are Turks.

[Purveyor]

6. Gunfire heard as tanks move through Istanbul streets. nt

[dhol82]

7. Been wondering if this was going to happen

The military is the guardian of the secular state.
Have to look it up but I think this has happened before where the military put the Turkish state back on the path of secularism.

[Surya Gayatri]

10. This is the sixth coup since WWII, I believe. About one every

ten years, on average.

[uawchild]

13. Really? Wow!

And is it always the army stepping in and dragging the politics back to the center?

[Surya Gayatri]

18. The military tends to be more RW than centrist, but they are adamantly secular

and have been since the founding of modern Turkey by Kemal Atatürk in 1923.

[dhol82]

14. Thanks.

[Yo_Mama]

25. It's sort of the Ataturk Olympics. They do it consistently although not at precise intervals.

In fairness, Erdogan and the AKP have been fighting with the courts for seven or eight years, trampling the Constitution, and in the last year they've just jumped the shark. Arresting journalists, seizing papers - the whole thing is just gone. This president-ad-infinitum thing is not working out.

Also I suspect the military is quite worried about the borders and Kurdish terrorism. I think they were pushed to this.

[uawchild]

8. Erdogan calls people onto streets on CNN Turk via mobile phone, says ‘will overcome’ coup

https://www.rt.com/news/351373-erdogan-cnn-turk-coup-announcement/

[uawchild]

9. President calls on followers to resist coup but army says they are now in charge

US not sure who is winning in putsch; Tanks deployed at Istanbul’s airport and military vehicles block bridge over Bosphorus

http://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/1990421/turkish-muddle-president-calls-followers-resist-coup-army-says

[dhol82]

16. Since he has already asked for asylum in Germany

I would think he is now history.
Can't say I'm upset about it.

[uawchild]

26. Does this mean an even more brutal repression of the Kurds?

The Turkish military has been waging a low-intensity conflict against the Kurdish majority in Turkey's southeastern region.

Will it get worse now?

[dhol82]

31. I don't know

Not that up on the internal politics.
Somehow, I doubt it. I think that it was mostly Erdogan that was anti-Kurdish.

[7962]

36. No, the opposite is more likely, IMO.

Erdogan has been sliding towards Islamism for some time
Turkey has always been pretty secular; maybe the army can bring that back

[uawchild]

12. Coup Attempt Is Underway in Turkey

Opposing Claims Over Who Is in Control of Country
By TIM ARANGO and CEYLAN YEGINSU 11 minutes ago

“The government elected by the people remains in charge,” said the prime minister, while the military reportedly issued a statement saying it had “taken over.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/world/europe/military-attempts-coup-in-turkey-prime-minister-says.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[Purveyor]

15. Soldiers Fire At People On Istanbul’s Bosporus Bridge, Some Injured – Reports

The Turkish military has opened fire and used tanks against crowds of civilians in the city of Istanbul amid protests against the ongoing coup, reports and footage on social media show

https://www.rt.com/news/351407-istanbul-army-protesters-clashes/

[uawchild]

21. Good Lord

How can this end well?

Erdogan has tremendous support among the religious conservative majority in Turkey.

[Dretownblues]

34. I would take reports from RT with skepticism

Ergodan and Putin are very cozy and those reports could be to try to turn people against the military. IIRC in prvious coups, the military has not fired on its own civilians.

[uawchild]

17. In this era of people power

Will this military coup and Erdogan's call for popular resistance end in a Turkish Tiananmen Square?

Will the Turkish military fire on scores of civilians? Erdogan has strong support among the religious conservatives, they won't take this calmly.

[uawchild]

19. Seems that answer may already be yes. n/t

[Surya Gayatri]

23. But, his grass roots support is mostly in the rural provinces, not in the urban centers

like Ankara and Istanbul.

[dhol82]

29. That might be where some fighting will happen.

[dhol82]

27. From what I have read

it is a fight between the moderates and the religious conservatives. The Islamists seem to feel that they had been subjugated by the previously secular government and are now all gung-ho for the conservative stance of Erdogan. The military has, obviously, been watching this and getting ancy.
We'll see where it ends up. My money is on the military.

[David__77]

30. If the military has resolve, I think that stability can be maintained.

While Erdogan may have support among some sectors, there are also many in opposition, especially in the cities.

[ericson00]

20. GOOD! Erdogan is an Islamist who was slowly eliminated democracy

so good riddance to bad rubbish. I cannot forgive him for the Mami Mavara and ISIS shielding.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. duplicate thread of

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1520321

[Blue_Tires]

24. Jesus...

Why would Germany give him asylum?

[tavernier]

32. In the briefing

did they explain to Trump where Turkey is located and that they are talking about the country and not the bird?

[Doctor Jack]

33. Now, how will Trump make this about himself?

[IronLionZion]

35. This would be a terrible time for ISIS to take advantage of the chaos

things could get really bad if ISIS or the Kurds decided this was their chance to start some shit

[In_The_Wind]

37. Locking Duplicate Thread

Conversations may continue here http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1520321